


Nothing Spreads Faster Than What You Don't Tell Anyone

by TheMadThing



Series: Re-building [2]
Category: Broadchurch
Genre: Domestic, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff, Homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-28
Updated: 2015-04-26
Packaged: 2018-03-15 06:02:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3436172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMadThing/pseuds/TheMadThing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>People start finding out about Jocelyn and Maggie</p><p>Sequel to Do You Think They're Strong Enough? Carries on after s2e08 ends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Reverend Paul Coates

They had carefully planned who to tell, but as someone, and neither of them knew who, once said, the best laid plans go awry. It was, however unfortunate that it was Paul Coates who found out first.  
They had gone out together for a walk at sunset along the clifftop near Jocelyn's house and without thinking Maggie had taken Jocelyn's hand in hers as they walked. It was a simple, innocent gesture, just a way of saying "You're not alone," but Jocelyn appreciated it. They stood, looking out at the sea for a while, perhaps standing a little closer together than friends might, hands still linked tightly between them. They stayed there for a few minutes, lost in contemplation, until someone cleared their throat pointedly behind them. "Paul!" Maggie said, surprised, quickly dropping Jocelyn's hand, though from the expression on his face it was too late. They exchanged slightly strained pleasantries, and Jocelyn, being firmly atheist and therefore not a churchgoer, was introduced to Paul. Paul soon made his excuses and continued on down the path, claiming dinner in the oven and Maggie and Jocelyn watched him hurry away until he was out of earshot when Maggie summed up the situation in one word. "Drat."

They heard no more about until Sunday when Maggie went to church, leaving Jocelyn at home as usual. Paul showed no inclination to talk to Maggie before the service and she relaxed as the service started. The sermon proved this to be a little hasty. The sermon began with the usual,  
"Please be seated," and Maggie wondered if Paul would mention the trial and Joe Miller's subsequent banishment. "I am going to tell you today about a plague which has fallen across our nation. This is not a plague of the body however, but of the mind. Still, we must not blame the victims of this plague, for it is no fault of their own but we must remind them that they can and must fight it with the help of God." Maggie felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as she realised what he was talking about. "I am talking about the plague of homosexuality." Glancing around Maggie could see a mixture of reactions to this. The younger members of the congregation looked shocked, their attitudes the product of an internet and generally more accepting upbringing. The younger adults displayed a variety of reaction and more of the older people were agreeing with Paul. He continued to speak, "With the recent legalisation of this perversion of marriage people are being encouraged to accept this plague, to welcome it even, but it is our duty to remind people of the word of God, that this is not alright, that they must fight this plague in the name of God." The congregation sat in stunned silence through the rest of the service. Afterwards Maggie extracted herself as quickly as she could and hurried home.

As she entered the house Jocelyn looked up, surprised.  
"You're early," she commented, then more concerned, "What happened?" Maggie told her. She hadn't realised how much it had affected her but by the end she was shaking, and Jocelyn wrapped her arms around her comfortingly, silently holding her close.


	2. Ben Haywood

Jocelyn and Maggie sat quietly together for a while until there was a knock at the door which made them both jump. Jocelyn looked up to see Ben standing outside looking slightly awkward. She nodded to him to come in and he stepped over the threshold, still exuding awkwardness.  
"Sorry," he started, mumbling slightly, "Just came to check... thought you'd be here... worried... too forward... didn't mean to intrude..."  
"Ben," Maggie interrupted, getting the gist of what he meant, "Thank you." Ben looked relieved.  
"When did you figure it out?" Jocelyn asked, curious.  
"When we had that carbonara," he admitted, "I wasn't sure if anything was actually going on though so I didn't say anything, but with that sermon..."  
"There wasn't anything," Maggie told him, "Until two days ago anyway."

"Lots of people are going to be asking questions now aren't they," Jocelyn said, though it wasn't a question.  
"Then we should tell them, stop any rumours. Just get it into the open," Maggie said, desperately hoping that Jocelyn would agree with her.  
"Yes," Jocelyn said, hesitating only a moment, knowing that this was her second and final chance to be strong for Maggie, to do what she should have fifteen years ago, "Yes, we should tell them." Maggie smiled at her, relief spreading through her and stilling her shaking hands. Jocelyn smiled back and Maggie knew that this time it would work out for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm hoping to have the next chapter up today, or at least worked on significantly, if I have time after music practise and packing for DofE. Ugh. Why must life be a thing.


	3. Olly Stevens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Olly is behaving oddly and Maggie wants to know why

Olly was late for work the next day, by about an hour, but he refused to tell Maggie where he'd been. He seemed annoyed, as though he hadn't got what he wanted but he still seemed to have plenty to work on judging by his frantic typing on his laptop. Maggie tried to look over his shoulder and he slammed the lid of his laptop down so quickly that he caught the end of his finger, causing him to swear loudly. Maggie cuffed him gently around the back of the head.  
"Language," she warned lightly. He ducked away, sucking his injured finger. Maggie went back to her work, still watching him slightly in her peripheral vision but he was careful to not let her see what he was doing.  
This pattern continued for several days and Maggie put it out of her mind, assuming that he would tell her eventually. In the end, she found out quite by accident. She was heading home from work on a Saturday afternoon when she came across Olly and Paul having a heated debate in the middle of the street, and she couldn't help but overhear. "Will you stop harassing me about this," Paul was saying, "I've told you, that sermon was not directed at anyone specifically!" "But you must have been prompted by something, or someone," Olly insisted, almost pleading with Paul, desperate to be right. "Go away," Paul practically growled at him, striding quickly away before Olly could stop him. He sighed and turned around, freezing when he saw Maggie as though she might not notice him if he stood still enough. "I heard," she told him and he visibly deflated, then perked up a little when something occurred to him. "Do you know?" he asked hopefully. Maggie hesitated, and hoped she was doing the right thing when she said to him, "Yes. I'll tell you tomorrow." Olly grinned, enthusiasm restored and hurried off past Maggie to go home. Maggie smiled slightly, remembering when she had been like that, full of energy and life and now... Now that energy was all inside, a quiet strength born of a broken heart. She had been shaped so much by Jocelyn and to be given a second chance after all these years was not something she planned to waste. She just hoped Jocelyn agreed with her decision to tell Olly, and by extension the whole village.


	4. Olly Stevens (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie tells Olly what's been going on

As it turned out Jocelyn was nothing less than completely supportive of Maggie's decision to tell Olly.  
"They were going to find out anyway," she reassured her, "We might as well tell them now, get it into the open." Maggie curled up into her side as they sat together on the sofa, curtains drawn against the encroaching night.  
"I just hope our friends are ok with it," Maggie said, voicing the fear lingering in both their minds.

Despite Maggie being early into work the next morning Olly was already there ahead of her, excitedly waiting for her. She raised an eyebrow exasperatedly at his enthusiasm and chuckled fondly. She went through her usual morning routine of making a cup of tea with a pair of eyes watching her slightly impatiently like a hungry puppy. Finally she decided to tell him before he exploded or something. She sat down next to him and he bounced slightly in anticipation, tense and wound up with excitement. Maggie hesitated, unsure how to word what she needed to say. Olly's eyes widened slightly and he practically vibrated as he waited for her to speak, aware that this was a big thing. "Jocelyn and I are together," Maggie said, deciding it was best just to get straight to the point. Olly stared at her for a second and all the tension left him in a rush with a "Congratulations!"


	5. Everyone Else

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jocelyn and Maggie decide about the rest of the village

In the end, after much deliberation and thought they decided not to bother specifically telling people. Not that they were hiding it at all, but people would work it out or not and really, the people that really mattered to them already knew now. So they told Olly and Ben what they were going to do and got on with their lives. Gradually people did work it out, but in the end most reactions were congratulatory rather than disapproving and most people figured that they were old enough to know that it was what they wanted and most people agreed that they'd been acting like they'd been married for years so really it was about time. For a while it was all the gossip of the village but that died down quickly, people moved on and nothing much really changed at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's so short, it seemed like the length it wanted to be so I just went with it

**Author's Note:**

> I based Paul's reaction off the brand of homophobia peculiar to the nicer side of Christianity, which was summed up nicely by my girlfriend: "We love you but we want you to change." There's a reason I'm Quaker.


End file.
